Trolley.



PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

J. T. RICE. TROLLE Y.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 HO MODEL.

PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

2 SHEBTS-SHEBT 2.

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V 0 5 -M o 9 J. T. RICE. TROLLEY. APPLICATION FILED AR. 20, 1902.

No MODEL.

YIIIIIIIIII 1/ Ill llll V I rill/I112 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOEL TROUTRIOE, OF HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS.

TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,024, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed March 20,1902. Serial No. 99,196. \No model.)

To all 1071/0711. it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL TROUT RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hot Springs, in the county of Garland and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Trolley, of which the following is a specifica- 7 tion.

My invention relates to certain improvements in trolley-poles and in devices for supporting and controllingthe same, and has for its object, among others, to provide each car with a pair of oppositely-facing trolley-poles, either of which may be readily adjusted to operative position, a single set of springs being employed for both poles, and the adjustment of a pole to operative position acting simultaneously to adjust the springs for coaction therewith. i

A still further object of the invention is to provide means at each end of the car for effecting the adjustment of either trolley-pole to operative or inoperative position; and a still further object is to provide for the adjustmentof the partsin such manneras to increase or decrease the stress of ihe spring acting on the poles.

A still further object of the invention is to so arrange and support the trolley-poles as to permit free rotative movement thereof in order thatthe polemay readily adapt itself to current oonducting wires in going around curves or in other places where the wire is not parallel with the traflic rails.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for locking the trolley poles in any position below the trolley-wire 10 which it may have been accidentally moved by i u m ping the wire.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings view of the same, the upper portion of the stand being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a longiin the same horizontal plane.

tudinal sectional elevation of the pole-carriageon the line 3 3 of Fig. 5. Fig. at is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the parts in the central or inoperative position with both poles Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same on the line 5 5 of Fig. Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of details of the supporting devices. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the adjusting or controlling levers arranged at each end of the car. Fig. 9 isan elevation of a preferred form of trolley-pole which may be employed. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the same.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. 1

On the roof or other suitable portions of the car or vehicle is placed a circular, preferably flanged, hase-plate 10, on which is mounted a revoluble carriage 11, the central portion of which is pivotally connected by astud or bolt-12 to the central portion of The revoluble carriage has corner is provided with a small supportingwheel 13, which may make contact with the u pper surface of the base-plate when the carriage is partly depressed on one side or end by the pressn re of the springs on the trolleypoles, and thus reduce the frictional resistance to the turning of the carriage as the latter yields during the travel of the car around the curve. From the base-plate of the carriage extend four arms 14, the upper ends of which are bent toward each other to form oppositely-disposed pairs, which are connected by longitudinal plates or bars 15, the latter being snaced for a distance sufficient to permit 1 he free movement of the trolley-poles 1G and 17, the latter being pivoted on studs or bolts 18 between the plates and each being provided with a downwardly-exteuded and slightly-curved arm 19.

On the opposite sides of. the base-plate of the revoluble carriage are arranged a pair of grooved guides 20 for the reception 'of the opposite edges of the base-plate '21 of a longitu din ally-movable spring-supporting carriage 22. The carriage 22 is provided at its opposite ends with vertically-extending flanges 23, which are rigidly connected together by a pair form a rigid structure.

of cross-head-guiding bars 24 and a pair of spring-supporting bars 25, the opposite ends of each of the pairs of bars being firmly secured to the ends of the carriage in order to The bars or plates may have a number of openings for the reception of the bolt 18.

Mounted on the spring-supporting bars 25 are a pair of bars 26, which normally are held against the inner surface of the end walls of the carriage by a pair of coiled compressionsprings 27, surrounding the bars 25 and extending from end to end thereof.

The longitudinally-disposed bars or rods 24 serve as guides for a cross-head 30, situated slightly above the compression-springs and occupying a central position when the two trolley-poles are in inoperative position, as illustrated in Fig. 4. This cross-head is provided with four guiding-openings, through which extend a similar number of rods, the inner pair 31 being connected to one of the transversely-disposed bars 26 and the outer pair being connected to the opposite bar 26. The rods extend loosely through the crossheads and are provided on that side opposite to the bar to which they are connected with enlarged heads or nuts 33, which serve to on the cross-heads engages the downwardlyprojecting arm 19 of the trolley-pole 17 and elevates the same until its trolley is in contact with the current-conducting wire. The spring is gradually compressed until the desired stress is secured, the expansive force of the springs being exerted on the trolley-arm through the end plate 26, the headed rods 32, and the cross head, while the opposing pair of rods 31 slide freely in the guiding-openings of the cross-head.

The movement of the carriage in one direction or the other may be accomplished in any desired manner, and as the movement takes place one pole may be gradually lowered and the opposite pole raised, affording a ready means for changing the poles at the end of a car route and without the delay necessary to the use of a single pole where the conductor or motorman must change the pole by traveling around one side of the car and at night leaving the car in darkness for a considerable length of time. It is further advantageous in the fact that a spare pole is always in readiness in case of breakage.

In order that the changing of the poles may be accomplished by either the motorman or conductor without leaving the car, I arrange at a convenient point at each end of the car an operating-lever 40, pivoted at an intermediate point on a bracket 41, the lower end of said lever being recessed for the reception of an operating-handle 42, the squared end of which is pivoted, by means of a suitable pin or bolt 43, between the side walls of such recess. The lever is provided with a spring 44, adapted to make contact with the side Wall or with the end of the operating-handle, as the case may be, such handle being adjustable to the position indicated by full lines or that indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8. When in operative position or that indicated by full lines, the squared shank of the handle is within the recess of the lever and is so arranged that the two members are rigidly connected, and considerable force may be exerted, as through a connecting-rod 45, on the longitudinally-movable carriage. When not in use, the handle portion 42 may be bent upwardly at a right angle to the length of the lever, its squared end being then acted upon by the spring 44 and retained in folded position. I

On the base 21 of carriage 22 is secured a spring 47, at the free end of which is a downwardly-projecting pin 48, which may be passed through any one of a series of openings 48 49 50, the connection between the spring and base-plate being adjustable or yielding to an extent sufficient to permit the adjustment of the pin. At the top of the pin is a laterally-projecting arm 52, which extends over a longitudinal bar 53, connected at its opposite end to the connecting-rods 45, the pivotal connections at the opposite ends of such connecting-rods being such as to afford perfect freedom of movement of the revoluble carriage as the latter yields during the travel of a car around a curved section of track or as the trolley accommodates itself to any unevenness in the current-conducting wire. The central portion of the bar or rod 53 is provided with a cam 56, adapted to engage with the arm 52 of locking-pins 48 and move the latter to unlocked position and release the longitudinally-movable carriage from the revoluble carriage when it is desired to change the position of the trolley-poles. In the baseplate 11 of the revoluble carriage are formed three sets of pins engaging openings 58 59, 60, the openings of each pair being arranged at equidistant points on opposite sides of the center of the carriage, but the openings 59 being at a greater distance from the center than the openings 58, and the openings 60 tion of the rod or bar 53 are collars 61, which may be held in any position to which they may be adjusted by suitable set-screws 62,

said collars being so arranged as to make contact with the end walls of the revoluble carriage after a preliminary movement of the rod sufficient to cause the cam 56 to move the pin 48 to unlocking position.

WVhen the carriage is in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, with the right-hand trolley-pole elevated, a movement of one of the connecting-rods 1L5 in the direction of the arrow will first cause the cam 56 to raise the pin from unlocking position and will permit the expansive force of the spring to movcthe longitudinally-movable carriage in the same direction. As the movement of the rod is continued the collar 61 comes into contact with the right-hand end of the spring-carriage, and the latter may be moved to the opposite position, allowing the trolley-pole 17 to assume the horizontal position and forcing the trolley-pole 16 to the elevated position.

Although the device may be employed in connection with plain poles carrying trolleywheels of the usual type, as illustrated in Fig. 1, I prefer to employ a trolley-supporting pole of the character shown in Fig. 9. In this case a frame 70 is pivoted to the pole near one end thereof, said frame having two pairs of arms 71 and 73, joined by thelooped arm 72, the frame being pivoted to the pole at the junction of the arms 71 and 73 and the trolley-wheel being pivoted at the juncture of the arms 71 and 7:2. The arm 72 is preferably looped, as shown in Fig. 10, so as to extend around both sides of the trolley-pole, and is connected to a cord or other operating device, which extends to the end of the car, within convenient reach of the conductor or motorman. The arm 73 of the frame is connected by a tension-spring 75 to the trolleyartn, the tendency of the spring being to move the trolley-wheel away from thepole until the loop engages with the under side thereof; but normally the stress of the polesupporting sprin gs will keep the trolleywvheel close to the pole, as indicated in Fig. 5). When apole of this character is used, the revoluble pole is a latch-bar 77 for engagement with The latch-bar is connected by.

said teeth. a rocking lever 78 and a rod 79 to the arm 73 of frame 70, the relation of the parts being such that when the trolley-wheel is in engagementwith the wire and is forced down to the position illustrated in Fig. 9 the latch will be withdrawn from the locking rack and permit oscillatory movement of the pole necessary to keep the trolley-wheel in contact with a conducting-wire of variable height. Should the trolley-wheel be thrown down and leave the wire, the comparatively light spring 75 will instantly move the latch 77 into engagement'with the teeth of the rack 76 and lock the pole in the position to which it is moved, preventing the stronger pole-supporting springs from moving the pole up into the path of guywires or other obstructions.

When the pole is to be readjusted, the conductor by a pull on the cord 74: may expand the spring 75 and cause the disengagement of the latch 77 from the rack, permitting free movement of the pole until the trolley-wheel is again in contact with the conducting-wires. In this connection provision is made for adjusting the length of the rod 79 by making said rod in two sections which may be united by a nut 80, passing through longitudinal slots in the two sections of the pole, or the ends of the rod may be threaded and a right and left hand threaded nut beapplied thereto for a similar purpose.

While the construction herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, is the preferred form of the device, it is obvious that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minpr details ofthe structu re may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having thus described tnyinvention, What I claim is l. The combination with a plurality of independentlymounted trolley poles, of a spring disconnected from both poles and movable to position to support either pole in operative position.

2. The combination with a pair of oppositely-disposed trolley-poles, of a yieldable supporting device disconnected from both poles and adjustable to support either pole in operative position.

3. The combination with a pair of oppo sitely-disposed trolley-poles, of a cross-bar adapted to engage with either pole, and springs adjustable for operative movement of the cross-bar in either direction,

4;. The combination with a pair of opposltely-facing ind ependen tly-mounted trolleypoles, of means for engaging the base of either pole to move said pole to operative position.

5. A trolley-pole-operating means comprising mechanism adapted for operative contact with the base of the pole,and including springs for holding the pole in elevated position, a lever pivotally mounted at the end of the car, and a rod connecting said lever to said mechanism.

6. The combination with a pair of oppositely-facing independently-mounted trolleypoles, of a pole-engaging means, including springs movable into engagement with either ofsuch poles and adapted to support theframe in elevated position, and levers arranged. at each end of the car and operatively connected to said pole-engaging means. i

7. The combination with apairof independently mounted trolley poles, of a carriage, means for longitudinally adjusting the same, a cross'head guided by said carriage and adapted to engage either pole,and springs carried by the carriage and operatively connected to said cross-head.

8. The combination with a pair ofindepend- IIO ently-mounted trolley-poles, of a longitudinally-adjustable carriage, means for locking the same in an adjusted position, a cross-head adapted to engage either pole, and springs on said carriage adjustable for operative movement of the cross-head in either direction.

9. The combination with apairotindependently-mounted trolley-poles, of a longitudinally-adjustable carriage, means for locking the same in an adjusted position, spring-supporting bars,transversely-disposed plates carried by the bars, springs situated between said transversely-disposed plates and normally tending to separate the same, a crosshead connected to the plates for operative movement in one direction only, said crosshead being adapted to engage either of the trolley-poles, and means for moving the carriage and for unlocking the same.

10. The combination with a pair of independently-mounted trolley-poles,ot a longitudinally-movable carriage, an operating-bar extendingtherethrough and having collars for engagement with the opposite ends of said carriage, spring supporting and bracing rods connecting the opposite ends of the carriage, a cross-head guided by said bracing-rods and adapted to engage either trolley-pole, transversely disposed plates mounted on the spring-supporting rods and connected to the cross-head for operative movement in one direction only, a locking device under the con trol of the operating-bar, and means for moving said operating-bar.

11. The combination with a pair of trolleypoles, of a revolnble support to which said poles are pivotally connected, an adjustable carriage adapted for engagement with either trolley-pole,and an adjustable means forlocking the carriage to the revoluble support.

12. The combination with a pair of trolleypoles, of a support to which said poles are pivoted,a spring-carriage adapted to said support and movable into engagement with either of said trolley-poles, a spring-pressed lockingpin adapted to engage with any one of a series of locking-openings in the support and the carriage, thereby to adjust the stress of the springs, and means for releasing the car riage and for adjusting the same, substantially as specified.

13. The combination with a pair of trolleypoles, of a support to which said poles are pivoted, a carriage adjustable in said support and having spring-pressed pole-engaging means, a spring-pressed locking-pin adapted to enter a series of openings in the carriage and support to lock the carriage at an adjusted distance to either side of the center of the support, an operating-bar guided in the carriage and having a cam for engagement with said pin, and collars arranged on said bar for operative engagement with said carriage.

14:. The combination with a pair of trolleypoles, of a support in which said poles are pivoted, and an adjustable spring-carriage having one of its elements movable into engagement with either of said poles, means for looking the carriage in its adjusted position, and a longitudinally movable .operating bar adapted to first engage with and unlock the carriage and on a continuation of its movement to adjust said carriage to any predetermined position.

15. The combination withacircular base, of a trolley-pole support mounted thereon and having antifrictiOn-wheels for engagement with the base, a pair of trolley-poles pivoted to the support, a spring-carriage adjustable on the support and having an element adapted to engage either of the trolley-poles, a locking device for securing the carriage in an adjusted position, an operating-bar guided by the carriage and adapted to operate on both the locking device and the carriage, operating-levers disposed at each end of a car, and connecting-rods pivotally connected to both the operating-bar and the levers, substantially as specified.

16. In a device of the class specified, a trolley-pole, a support to which said pole is pivoted, a toothed locking -segment carried by said support, a spring-pressed latch for. engagement with said locking-segment, a pivoted trolley-carrying frame in form of a bellcrank lever arranged at the upper end of the pole, a trolley-wheel supported by one arm of the frame, a pivoted latch-lever disposed near the lower end of the pole, and an adjustable connecting-rod extending between the latchlever and the opposite arm of the bell-crank lever, substantially as specified.

17. The combination with a trolley-pole, of a support to which said pole is pivoted, a toothed locking-segment carried by said sup port, a frame pivoted to the upper portion of the trolley-pole and having a loop member extending under the pole for connection to an operating-cord, a trolley-wheel carried by said frame, a spring extending between the frame and the pole and normally tending to move the wheel from the pole, and means for connecting said frame and latch,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOEL TROUT RICE.

Witnesses: JAMES M. ANDERSON, JOHN L. SMITH.

ICO 

